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TODAY (16)
Book Review: End Times book: THERE IS A STRIVING....! Finding the Gospel Truth in an age of deception By Mazino Abraham Egbuwoku
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Salary 30k a month email to choomboojobs@systemini.net with subject (uploader)
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Benin Airport Remodelled [Photos]As part of her committment towards repositioning and restructuring the aviation sector, Minister Of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah p… Started by you in Occupy Nigeria Yes We CAN THE THE RVP PROJECT |
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End Times book: THERE IS A STRIVING....! Finding the Gospel Truth in an age of deception By Mazino Abraham EgbuwokuTHERE IS A STRIVING....! Finding the Gospel Truth in an age of deception By Mazino Abraham Egbuwoku TABLE OF CO… Started by you in Netchurch |
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Governor Uduaghan's aide raped, matcheted by her Drivers - Say she was too hostile to her Staff.Suspects arrested.…Her jeep taken away with 50 litres of fuel From PAUL OSUYI, Asaba A female top government functionary (names withheld) in Delta State had… Started by Weboga in EFCC Nigeria Crime Reports |
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Patience Jonathan may returns to Nigeria today after multiple surgical procedures
Barring any last minute changes, Nigeria’s first lady, Patience Jonathan who has been on health hiatus in Germany, will return to Nigeria,…
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The news came filtering in through different media - phone calls, SMS, instant messages, e-mail - but the message was the same - Michael Jackson is dead! This was 365 days ago but the message is still processing in some minds.
History
The King of Pop had put in over four decades of hard work, as debatably, the world's greatest entertainer ever. From humble beginnings in little Gary, Indiana, USA, the young man born Michael Joseph Jackson on August 29, 1958, the eighth of his parents' 10 children, would conquer the world.
His story has been told endlessly. We all have our versions. There have been countless newspaper headlines, numerous magazine articles, several TV specials and more. Whatever the case, MJ is, for all intents and purposes, a phenomenon. With all the extensive coverage on his life - professional and amateur - we each have more than enough to go on to claim a personal bond with the larger than life super-duper-star, even referring to him on first name basis.
When the world practically stopped on June 25, 2009 at the shocking news of his passing, it just went to show the profound effect he had on several generations. Yet, even in death, the legend continues and there is no stopping Michael. According to a Billboard report (see chart), Jackson has made approximately $1 billion (approx. N149 billion) since his death. Modern technology, primarily the internet, will also make it hard to forget Michael, or easy to remember him, depending on how you choose to look at it.
During his storied career, Wacko Jacko, as he was cruelly or comically christened (depending on who you ask), suffered public scrutiny regarding allegations of inappropriate relations with minors; his sexual orientation; perceived arranged marriages; his Neverland Valley Ranch home; the paternity of his three children; his claimed vitilago and many other unflattering positions. Some chose to focus on these darker patches of his lifetime in the aftermath of his untimely demise but for the most part, the reason the world embraced and elevated him is what keeps us and his memory going - his music.
Keeping the thrill alive
In the clubs today, in the midst of the Souljah Boy Tellems, Terry Gs and Jay Seans, an MJ classic is usually only a few spins away. The Hip-Hop generation, many of who were either unborn or attempting to walk (he was already moonwalking) at the height of his star in the Thriller era, has embraced this fallen star with open arms. Even disaster, in the form of the devastating Haiti earthquakes, led to the stars of today - misguided or otherwise - congregating to regurgitate Michael's love offering alongside Lionel Richie, "We Are the World," towards relief efforts for the displaced Haitians. The power of music seems to know no bounds and few, if any, managed to masterfully wield its magic wand with such magnificent ministration as Michael Jackson. As comedian Martin Lawrence once joked, "Who else could say ‘I'm jamming in Bucharest?'" Such was the power and reach of Michael.
He harmonised with family (the Jackson 5, Janet, 3T), jammed with rock icons (Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Slash), wrote history with legends (Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie), bounced with Hip-Hop heads (The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Heavy D), laughed with comedians (Eddie Murphy, Chris Tucker), parleyed with sex symbols (Brooke Shields, Madonna, Naomi Campbell, Iman), hung with hoops stars (Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal), inspired a generation (Usher, Justin, Britney, Chris Brown), was loved by queens (Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Ross, Princess Di) and befriended a chimp (Bubbles). Such was the diverse demeanor of MJ that he transcended gender, genre and genotype.
Thankfully, he has left us with a robust body of work to last a lifetime. Ask five people their favourite Jackson album and possibly get five different answers. Ask me and I'll say Bad. Ask fifteen their favourite song and expect a similar outcome. For me, it's "Human Nature," and it is this same human nature that made us judge and mourn the man in equal measure. He was, after all, human, although the extent of his talent, naturally, made us revere him, often to the point of worship. A year on from his physical passing, not much has changed.
‘If they say why, why?'
Love him, hate him or misunderstand him, you cannot deny or even ignore his genius and sheer brilliance. He lived many of his last years in seclusion, so it's like he's just gone out of sight again. Unfortunately for the three children he loved so much, the sad truth is, his body of work is what will ultimately be taken as his lasting legacy on this unforgiving planet. Many of us loved him too and are just selfish like that. Regardless, our hearts must go out to them as they continue to live life under the public microscope, the unfortunate cross their father tried so hard to ensure they wouldn't have to bear. His song "Leave Me Alone," on behalf of his kids, comes to mind but we won't because we can't! It is not in our human nature to do so.
What is, though, is our penchant to mourn the passing of a loved one, even though we know that day must come, carrying with it the promise of a better life ahead for the dearly departed. Many said he was gone too soon like his 1991 song title but I prefer to alter the Motown 25 tag line and say, "Michael Jackson... yesterday, today and forever.".
Walk the moon...
The Super Eagles team that would come face to face against the Argentinian side this afternoon includes Enyeama, Odiah, Taiwo, Shittu, Yobo, Kaita, Etuhu, Obasi, Lukman, Aiyegbeni and Nsofor.
The match which is scheduled for 3:00pm today (Nigerian time)would take place at the Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
Main Article Comments:
Are these fo&^%£$*ols going to South Africa to draft bills? Is senate on recess? How can 62 out of 108 senators leave at the same time to go and jolly with Goodluck Jonathan in South Africa ? How many countries sent more than 6 senators to the world cup ?
Na! They ain't there for you, me or Jonathan. . . SA babes have been welcoming teams by displaying the lovely pointies God blessed them with.
What a mishap,so the plane didn't crash!
We would have been atleast 62 thieves less by now.
Main Article:
NFF sympathises with 62 Senators
NFF President Sani Lulu Abdullahi said on Friday that the Football Federation was grateful to God for sparing the lives of 62 Senators of the Federal Republic who were involved in a near mishap in Lagos on Thursday.
The lawmakers, according to reports, had chartered an aircraft from France for the flight to South Africa to support President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at Friday’s opening ceremony in Johannesburg, to which the Nigeria leader was invited by President Jacob Zuma.
However, their aircraft developed landing gear fault just after take-off at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, and the pilot had to return quickly to base to avert disaster.
“We have the Almighty God to thank for this. What would we have been saying? God is great and it is important that we always give Him thanks anytime things like this happen,” said Lulu Abdullahi.
The Senators eventually arrived and joined a strong Nigeria reception team for President Jonathan who arrived in Johannesburg at about 6.30 pm South African time on Thursday morning.
Other News: SA Goes Nude for World Cup
Ooops! What an eye-catching scene over there in South Africa, venue of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off in less than 24 hours.
If you aren’t feeling the World Cup excitement yet, then the body language of thousands of South African ladies across the country readily puts you in great competition mood.
The babes are baring everything they have; their beauty, curves and poise all to make the visitors feel at home during the mundial.
While many say posing unclothed is a normal way of life amongst young South African ladies, some believe that the trend is restricted to the grossly under-developed areas of the former apartheid enclave. Whatever the insinuations, South Africans are already in a joyous celebration of their country’s readiness to host the world and they are not hiding it.
South African dancers cheer Chile's national football team before their friendly international against New Zealand at the Kanyamazane Stadium near Nelspruit yesterday, two days ahead of the start of the 2010 World Cup football tournament. AFP PHOTO
Only yesterday during the pre-World Cup friendly match between Chile and New Zealand, thousands of South Africans, including their ladies, stripped themselves unclothed and filed out to cheer the teams at the Kanyamazane Stadium, near Nelspruit.
The pretty damsels appeared happy to showoff their bodies as they danced around in Sandton, north of Johannesburg city centre, where a big party was held in anticipation of the beginning of the world showpiece.
Many of the ladies who spoke to international journalists say whatever they do is ‘for the good of the game’ and an honour for their nation. Reports say the presence of the ladies is not only felt on the streets of South Africa, some unsuspecting players are getting distracted, especially when the babes come around their training grounds and near their hotels. It was gathered that security personnel have been up and doing to ensure that the 32 teams, including the host, Bafana Bafana, are focused on the mundial, the first to be staged on Africa’s soil.
The global premiere of Notes to Notes, an animated video that tells the story of Nigeria’s rich history using the naira notes, and illustrates the core values of the country’s naira notes, will hold today at the Genesis Deluxe Cinema, The Palms, Lekki, Lagos.
According to Aneto Okonkwo, an associate of the Nigeria leadership Initiative (NLI), an international non-profit organization and the organizers of the event, the country’s younger generation lack a good knowledge of the history of their nation.
Knowledge of the country
“During the last Future Leaders Class of the NLI (all new NLI Associates must go through a three-day Leadership Training before induction), we were taken through a course on Nigeria’s history,” said Mr Okonkwo.
“Very quickly, it became obvious that quite a few of us (especially the Nigerians in the Diaspora) had a few gaps in our knowledge of our nation’s history. We were concerned that this would be even worse for the younger generation. So we set out to create an animated video that was short and fun, that would remind the youth about Nigeria’s history and values.
“The video was deliberately kept short in view of the short attention span of some youth. Also, we wanted something that was easily distributed on the web and mobile phones.”
The project team was drawn from NLI Associates in the October 2009 Class (Associates are inducted twice a year - in May and October).
A lineup of celebrities including MI, Kate Henshaw-Nuttall, BOUQUI, TY Bello, Sasha, Omawumi, Rooftop MCs, Chioma Omeruah and Aisha Augie-Kuta, will narrate the Aphobos Studios’ Femi Omoluabi-produced video.
Reliving the past
Tunde Olanrewaju, Co-Chair of the NLI Management Board, relived the experiences of the Nigerian youth in the early sixties.
“We had gained independence and Nigerian youth exhibited an insatiable thirst for education and innovation in different spheres of life. During this time, strong values and a sense of community were the fabric of Nigerian society and Nigerians upheld values in their everyday activities. Today, this is just not the case.”
The Notes to Notes video will also be broadcast on TV and radio stations on Children’s Day, May 27, 2010, at 8pm on Silverbird TV and Inspiration FM. It will also be available for free download at www.nli-global.org.
The Notes to Note project is under NLI’s CLEVER initiative, which includes other projects like the Wordslam competition where youth can write the lyrics to a potential award-winning song and international poetry book. There’s also a Clever Club, which gives students an opportunity to take responsibility for transforming the country by developing a sense of civic responsibility.
Burial today in Katsina 2 p.m. • Jonathan to be sworn in 8 a.m. FG declares 7 days mourning, public holiday today
Exactly 70 days after he was flown back to Nigeria from treatment in Saudi Arabia, President Umaru Yar’Adua died on Wednesday night of undisclosed causes.
He became the second Nigerian leader to die of natural causes while in office, as the late dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha, who died on June 8, 1998. Other Nigerian leaders who had died in office were Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa Maj.-Gen. Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi and Gen. Murtala Muhammed. They were killed during attempts to overthrow their governments in 1966 and 1976 respectively.
Presidential Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, told The Associated Press that Yar’Adua died at 9pm on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, with his wife, Turai, at his side. Adeniyi, whose voice cracked with emotion as he spoke did not give a cause of death.
By virtue of Section 146 of the 1999 Constitution, Acting President Goodluck Jonathan automatically becomes the President. It reads, ”The Vice-President shall hold the office of President if the office of President becomes vacant by reason of death or resignation, impeachment, permanent incapacity or the removal of the President from office for any other reason in accordance with section 143 of this Constitution.”
THE PUNCH learnt that news of Yar‘Adua‘s death first filtered out shortly after he breathed his last when some presidential aides briefed Jonathan and the National Security Adviser, Lt.-Gen. Aliyu Gusau (retd.), about his death.
The Federal Governmment immediately declared today as a public holiday. It also declared seven days of mourning, during which flags will fly at half-mast.
Yar’Adua spent much of his time as the governor of Katsina State (1999-2007) battling a kidney-related ailment. But his supporters he claimed had recovered sufficiently to contest the 2007 presidential election, after he got a kidney transplant.
At a point during his tenure as governor, Yar‘Adua spent six months at a stretch in a German hospital. But not long after he won the presidential election and was inaugurated, his health failed and he had to be flown abroad on a few occasions for treatment.
Although the exact nature of Yar‘Adua‘s frequent illness was never truly known, as his medical trips abroad were always shrouded in secrecy, the Presidency gave an indication of the nature of the sickness after he was flown to Saudi Arabia on November 23, 2009 for medical treatment.
His personal physician, Dr. Salisu Banye, told newsmen on November 26 that Yar‘Adua was being treated for acute pericarditis, an inflamation of the membrane surrounding the heart.
However, Saharareporters, an online medium, had, in a series of reports, insisted that the President suffered from the terminal Churg Strauss syndrome.
Last November, he was admitted to the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he spent 93 days before being flown back to Nigeria under the cover of darkness.
After his return on February 23, he was kept incommunicado at the Presidential Villa and was shielded from his deputy. In fact, in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation last month, Jonathan said the President‘s family was shielding Yar‘Adua from him.
He said he had only been able to meet with the President‘s wife while attempts to see Yar‘Adua and assess his condition were rebuffed.
Due to the uncertainty that surrounded Yar‘Adua‘s medical condition, the National Assembly on February 9, 2010 passed a resolution declaring Jonathan as the Acting President.
The news of the President‘s death immediately spread like wildfire across the country, with many Nigerians expressing shock and grief at the 58-year-old President‘s demise. Also, various cable channels across the world broadcast news breaks of Yar’Adua’s death intermittently.
Reactions started pouring in within a few hours of his death. Kwara State governor Bukola Saraki, who is also the chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum, said, “As a Muslim, the first reaction is that everyone will pay the ultimate price and death will come when it will come. The passing on of the President at this point in time in our national history is not only tragic but devastating. It‘s indeed a colossal loss to the nation and Africa.”
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, in his tribute, wrote, “What passes for the Nigerian nation is nothing more than a tragic arena, and Yar‘Adua is only the latest tragic figure. The vampires, including those within his own family, turned him into a mere inert resource for their diabolical schemes.
“They have a reckoning with their conscience, assuming they know what the word means. One can only hope that, while mouthing sanctimonious platitudes such as ‘Power belongs to God,’ they have now learnt that the politics of Do-or-Die cannot guarantee who does and who dies. They must stop playing God. I pray for the repose of the soul of their latest, much abused innocent victim. Wole Soyinka.”
In his reaction, Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko described the President‘s transition as a sad loss to the nation. Mimiko, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Kolawole Olabisi, described the late President as an apostle of democracy, who maintained a firm belief in the Rule of Law and fairplay.
In his reaction, Kogi State Governor Ibrahim Idris said in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Richard Elesho, “We would like to keep our fingers crossed, taking into cognisance that the power of life and death are the in the hands of God. We have to accept it as the will of God. We condole with the family and pray God grants them the fortitude to bear the loss. The man suffered for so long. It’s indeed a big loss.”
Nigerian passengers may be stranded on Sunday (today) as the ripple effect of a fresh Icelandic volcano ash cloud stretching over Northern
Spain and Southern France has resulted in flight delays and
cancellations between Europe and North America on Saturday.
In Spain, for instance, 19 airports including the international hub in Barcelona were closed on Saturday with the country‘s airport authority saying that more than 670 flights had been cancelled by 14:00 (1200 GMT).
Likewise, 125 flights in and out of Portugal were cancelled as at noon local time (1100 GMT).
Due to the congestion on the alternate routes, particularly over southern Portugal and Spain where many of the planes were being funnelled, some trans-Atlantic flights were taking significantly longer. An Air France flight from Boston arrived in Paris Saturday with a delay of more than four hours.
Aer Lingus also cancelled flights from the United States to Dublin, citing the exceptionally circuitous routes to get around the cloud.
According to the Associated Press, the prospect for Sunday flights remained grim, with no improvement in sight for trans-Atlantic passengers because of the plume of low-altitude ash continuing to float eastward over Spain and southern France..
Flights had to be rerouted north over Greenland or south around Spain to avoid the 1,200-mile long cloud stretching from Iceland to northern Spain.
Approximately 600 airliners make the oceanic crossing every day.
The disruptions to air traffic did not compare to the five-day closure of European airspace last month, which forced the cancellation of over 100,000 flights, stranded passengers around the world and caused airlines direct losses of more than N1b euros.
An official of Lufthansa in Nigeria said there were a few delays in its transatlantic flights. This is expected to start affecting flights to other countries including Nigeria, according to airport officials.
Information posted on Airfrance‘s website as at 5pm on Saturday said, ”French airspace remains open. Routes for flights going to or coming from North America, Central America and the Caribbean are modified to avoid the volcanic cloud.”
British Airways, KLM, Arik Air and Virgin Atlantic in Nigeria said that they were yet to be affected as at Saturday but could not tell what could happen on Sunday.
Bankole, Oshiomhole, Fashola, others stranded in Europe • EU to resume limited air traffic today
By NDUBUISI ORJI
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Speaker of the House of Representative Dimeji Bankole, Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, and Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola are among Nigerians stranded in Europe as result of rising Iceland volcano ash. Others stranded included some aides of the Acting President Dr Goodluck Jonathan. Also, the governors of Imo and Akwa Ibom States, Ikedi Ohakim and Godswill Akpabio are said to be among those stranded in the UK.
photo:Fashola
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The socio- political implication of this development that government business, which the affected officials were supposed to address have been left unattended.
For instance in Edo State, the launch of the ‘one man, one vote’ campaign earlier schedule for tomorrow has been postponed by one week because of the absence of Governor Oshiomhole..
Meanwhile, European officials carved up the sky yesterday, creating three zones to more quickly break the flight deadlock caused by volcanic ash flowing from Iceland over Europe. Many more flights will be able to take off today, the bloc said.
European countries can resume airline traffic in designated “caution zones” where the threat of ash is considered less dangerous, French officials said after a meeting of the bloc’s 27 transport ministers.
Under the accord, one area defined by the European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol will remain entirely off limits to flights. Another area will be open to all flights and a third area will be a caution zone in which some flights will be allowed.
Jean-Louis Borloo, the No. 2 French Cabinet official, said flights in the caution zone will be “very secure” with many tests to make sure jet engines are not damaged by ash.
EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said after a videoconference with EU transport ministers and industry officials that “the decision increases air space available to air traffic. This is the final outcome.”
The EU said as of Tuesday morning “we should see more planes starting to fly.”
Meanwhile, airline losses from the volcanic ash cloud spiraled over $1 billion yesterday, the industry demanded European Union compensation and criticized European governments for relying too much on scientific theory not fact in their decisions to shut down airspace across the continent.
Shares of some European airlines fell as flight disruptions from the volcanic cloud moved into a fifth day, and the International Air Transport Association complained of “no leadership” from government leaders, one of whom admitted to EU dissension about how to respond.
“It’s embarrassing, and a European mess,” IATA CEO Giovanni Bisignani told The Associated Press. “It took five days to organize a conference call with the ministers of transport and we are losing $200 million per day (and) 750,000 passengers are stranded all over. Does it make sense?” IATA officials said the $200 million estimate was at the low-end of their projections, and that it could run as high as $250 million-$300 million a day.
Even as airline officials were clamoring for relief, both financial and operational, a senior Western diplomat told The Associated Press that several NATO F-16 fighter jets had suffered engine damage after flying through the cloud, suggesting government caution was warranted..
The official declined to provide more details on the military flights, except to say that glasslike deposits were found in the planes’ engines after they patrolled over unspecified European airspace. European civil aviation authorities held a conference call Monday about what steps could be taken toward opening airspace, and transport ministers of all 27 European Union members were conferring by phone and videoconference.
Dominique Bussereau, France’s transport minister, told reporters Monday that he had urged EU president Spain. ever since Saturday. to call the ministerial meeting immediately but Madrid declined. “Naturally, it would have been better if had taken place Sunday or Saturday,” Bussereau said.
British Airways said airlines have asked the EU for financial compensation for the closure of airspace, starting last Wednesday. With London among the first hubs shut down, the British carrier said it’s losing as much as 20 million pounds ($30 million) per day.
BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh pointed out that compensation had been paid to airlines after the closure of U.S. airspace following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. “This is an unprecedented situation that is having a huge impact on customers and airlines alike,” Walsh said. “We continue to offer as much support as we can to our customers, however, these are extraordinary circumstances that are beyond all airlines’ control.”
Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo, the No. 2 in the French Cabinet said a meeting of French airlines, travel agencies and the government was planned for Tuesday to examine possible state aid to the industry. “This aid will evolve of course based on the severity of the crisis. For that, we need a European pre-accord that we have obtained, an accord in principle so this sector aid can be allocated,” Borloo told France’s i-Tele.
German Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer said government decisions were based on a “sea of data” and defended the continued closure of air space in his country. He brushed off airlines’ complaints about losses, saying they know about their susceptibility to weather conditions.
“It is completely obvious that you have to calculate with such risks,” he told Radio station Deutschlandfunk. “And I defend myself right away against any calls to the government,” to compensate for the corporate losses. The IATA, in a statement, called on governments to place “greater urgency and focus on how and when we can safely reopen Europe’s skies”, such as through more in-depth study of the ash cloud.
“We have to not just use as the Europeans were doing, a theoretical model, let’s try to use figures and facts,” Bisignani said.” It means sending test planes at certain kinds of altitudes to check what was the situation with the ashes.”
While the association says “safety is our top priority,” Bisignani said in the statement that its member airlines have run test flights with no problems and “they report missed opportunities to fly safely.” Bisignani said that Europe, unlike the United States, for example is “not well-equipped” when it comes to planes that can test the air quality in the skies. He estimated that once flights in Europe do resume, it would take three to six days for traffic to return to normal.
France’s Borloo said disparate analyses needed to be brought together based on “real tests on real planes with real pilots,” so some air “corridors” could be reopened. “The issue today is not to reopen all European commercial airspace, the issue today is to increase the ability to reopen corridors to allow the general de-congestion of European traffic,” he told reporters.
Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, the No. 2 executive at Air France-KLM, said his company is losing euro35 million a day and called for more test flights to see if routes are safe to fly. He said the French-Dutch carrier conducted five test flights on its own Sunday and planned another seven Monday.
Speaking to reporters Monday at Air France headquarters near Paris’ main airport, Gourgeon said aviation authorities had relied on “insufficient” information when they imposed a near-blanket flight ban in some countries.
The prospect of continued losses and flight cancelations pushed down shares of many airlines. In early afternoon trade Europe, German carrier Deutsche Lufthansa AG was down 3.9 percent to euro12.24 in Frankfurt; Air France-KLM SA dropped 4.5 percent to euro11.87, and British Airways was down 4.4 percent to 224.6 British pence.
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan will finally sign the 2010 Appropriation Bill today nearly one month after it was passed by the National Assembly..
Mr. Jonathan said he delayed his assent because of some discrepancies he discovered while going through the document.
At the meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation yesterday, the acting president announced that he would only sign the budget when the issues he had raised with leadership of the National Assembly are resolved. Mr. Jonathan had met with the lawmakers at his Aguda residence on Tuesday night to work out the differences.
The delay in signing the budget was one of the major issues deliberated at the weekly council meeting which lasted for three hours. However, hours after the meeting, the Senior Special Assistant to the Acting President, Ima Niboro, said that his boss will be signing the budget at 10.00am today.
Although the statement did not say wether the acting president met with the leadership of the National Assembly after the council meeting, a source said that the issues complained about by Mr Jonathan have been resolved.
Apart from the 2010 budget, the council meeting which featured no memos, also discussed Nigeria’s Golden Jubilee celebration.
Almost all the ministers were in attendance, and some of the new ministers who have yet to understand the terrain, got lost on their way to the chambers where the meeting usually holds.
The reason for delay
Earlier, while briefing the media on the outcome of the meeting, the Minister of State for Information and Communications, Labaran Maku, promised a speedy resolution of the budget issue.
“The acting president is still studying the budget and having discussions with the leadership of the National Assembly to resolve the discrepancies. In a few days, this will be concluded and the budget will be signed probably before the end of this week.”
Mr. Jonathan, it was gathered, was not comfortable with the huge gap between the N4.07 trillion he presented to the National Assembly, and the N4.6 trillion the lawmakers approved and sent to him for assent.
“In all democrac[ies], there is always the discrepancy between what the executive gives and what the legislatures [give]. The legislatures have oversight duties on how the resources of Nigeria should be used. They have a constitutional role and there is hardly any democracy where the budget returning to executive remains the same,” said Mr. Maku.
“What the legislature does is that it looks at the areas it believes are important, which have been overlooked by the executive. And the executive, that has the constitutional duty of managing the economy, will now look at the implication of those variations in relation to the law, [and] in relation to what the national economy can afford, to ensure that what is approved generate the economy rather than creating more problems. I am sure in the end, what comes up will be for the good of Nigeria.”
He added that the acting president was concerned about the time wasted and the failure of past budgets. The minister, however, could not say which specific areas caused the discrepancies, stating that there were no figures tabled for discussion at the council meeting.
Problems in the past
On November 24, 2009, President Umaru Yar’Adua presented a budget proposal of N4.07 trillion for the 2010 fiscal year to the National Assembly. However, the budget was not passed until after four months and the country’s planned spending for the year was raised to around N4.3 trillion ($30 billion more) by the federal lawmakers.
The National Assembly eventually passed a budget of N4,608,616,278,213, of which N180,279,158,994 was for statutory transfer, while N497,071,797,452 was earmarked for debt service. N2,077,358,560,347 was billed for recurrent expenditures, and N1,853,906,761,420 was for contribution to the development fund for capital expenditure for the year ending 31 December 2010.
It was based on a projection of $67 per barrel of oil and crude oil production of 2.350 million barrels per day. The joint venture cash call projection was $7billion, with a GDP of 5.47 percent, an inflation rate of 11.2 percent, and an exchange rate of N150 to a US dollar.
The budget had included some additions and adjustments by the executive in the sum of N336 billion, which raised the executive proposal from N4, 079 trillion to N4, 415 trillion.
Golden Jubilee celebration
On the preparation of the nation’s 50th year celebration, Mr. Maku said it will be coordinated by the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
As part of the measures to make it an integrated national affair, the council encouraged both states and local governments to make sure their preparations complemented the federal government’s plan, in an effort to make the celebrations grand and worthy of a nation’s golden jubilee.
Nigeria’s Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan yesterday arrived the United States of America for a four-day working visit during which he will participate in the international Nuclear Security Summit to be hosted by US President Barack Obama.
Mr. Jonathan, who was on his first official visit to a foreign country since he assumed leadership was scheduled to meet with Mr Obama at 5-30pm (11.30pm Nigerian time) and is expected to have lunch with US Vice President Joe Biden today.
Details of the meeting with Mr Obama were not known at press time, but a presidential source said the US had previously indicated interest in electoral reform, returning peace to the Niger Delta, the country’s unity, and Nigeria’s cooperation in the war against terrorism and nuclear proliferation, so these will probably form the focus of the discussions.
A Nigerian, Farouk Abdulmutallab, is facing trial in the US for attempting to blow up a US plane over Detroit on Christmas day and this led the American government to put Nigeria on its list of ‘countries of interest’ in terrorism.
The acting president arrived the Andrews Airforce Base, Virginia, at 9.30am local time (3.30pm Nigerian time) and was received by US Ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Sanders; her Nigerian counterpart, Ade Adefuye and other ranking Nigerian and US officials.
The Andrews Airforce Base is reserved for use by select foreign leaders and special dignitaries of the American government.
Mr Jonathan was accompanied on the trip by Foreign Affairs Minister, Odein Ajumogobia and former Nigerian ambassador to the US, Hassan Adamu.
On arrival, he proceeded to Westin Grand Hotel, Washington DC, where he was received by governors of Imo, Edo and Zamfara States, Ikedi Ohakim, Adams Oshiomhole and Aliyu Shinkafi; as well as Joy Ogwu, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) and other top diplomats at both the Washington DC mission and the UN office.
Important meetings
The acting president’s itinerary, released by presidential officials, shows that after lunch with Mr Biden, he will proceed for a meeting with the President of the World Bank, at the World Bank Building, also in Washington DC and later, in the evening, join other visiting Heads of Government and delegations for a working dinner with Mr Obama.
Hilary Clinton, the US Secretary of State and her energy counterpart, Steven Chu, will host Mr Ajumogobia and Diezani Allison-Madueke, Minister of Petroleum Resources.
Tomorrow, Mr Jonathan will join other world leaders for the first plenary session of the Nuclear Security Summit before proceeding for a working lunch with the US president. He will thereafter participate in the second plenary, which marks the end of the nuclear summit.
The Acting President will begin his schedule for Wednesday with a breakfast meeting with officials of the Centre for Global Development in Washington DC. The governors of Imo, Edo, Rivers and Zamfara along with the foreign affairs, petroleum and finance ministers are expected to be in attendance.
He will later meet with members of the Nigerian community in the US and the President of ExxonMobil Oil Company. These meetings are also to be attended by the governors and the ministers, along with other presidential aides.
The Acting President returns to Nigeria on Wednesday, 14th April,2010.
Closing gaps
Mr. Jonathan’s trip to the US also marks the first time in almost three years that a Nigerian leader will be visiting the US. Nigeria’s president, Umaru Yar’Adua studiously refused to visit the US after the caustic comments of US officials on the election that brought him to power. His ill health also stopped him from attending the United Nations General Assembly meeting which held in New York - leaving the former foreign affairs minister, Ojo Maduekwe, to meet US and UN officials.
Mr Obama pointedly avoided Nigeria during his last trip to Africa but he used his trip to Ghana to lecture African leaders on the virtue of free elections and financial accountability.
Commiserates with Poland
Mr Jonathan, yesterday sent his condolences to the acting president of Poland, Bronislaw Koromowshi and the Polish people over the death of President Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria, and other ranking officials of the Polish government in a plane crash on Saturday.
He described the incident as tragic, noting that Poland had, in one fell swoop, lost the commanding heights of its political leadership.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Nigeria, I condole with your good self and the people of Poland over the death of President Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria, high ranking officials of your Government and other nationals in the tragic plane crash of Saturday.
“Poland has lost some of its best and brightest to this accident, and Nigeria mourns with you at this moment of grief.”
After 78 days of political paralysis, a solution to the lingering controversy over the power vacuum in the presidency is likely today as the Senate discuss the process of transferring powers to Vice President Goodluck Jonathan.
Today, in our nation’s capital, Abuja, the Senators will meet to decide on what to do to lift Nigeria out of the political debacle that President Umaru Yar’Adua’s absence has thrown the country into.
The Senate reconvenes to vote on a motion that would empower Mr. Jonathan to act as the president nearly three months after Mr. Yar’Adua left the country for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia. Today’s session comes a week after the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) urged the senators to suspend their agitation to enable the party resolve the controversy within seven days, which expires today.
Last week, state governors who took the unprecedented step of calling Mr. Jonathan ‘Acting President’ said they would be visiting the National Assembly to urge the lawmakers to accept the court verdict which granted the Vice President powers to act in the President’s absence.
NEXT learnt that the Senate is eager to give the impression of transparency and the Senate President, David Mark, has therefore invited the Nigeria Television Authority to give live coverage to the debate and the governors’ visit.
Labour also threatens
Also unions affiliated to the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) will be meeting to declare their stance on Mr. Yar’Adua’s absence, later in the week.
“The NLC cannot just make a decision without following due process as the body comprises of many union members,” said Denja Yaqub, its assistant general secretary in a telephone interview.
“That does not mean we do not have a stance on the issue but in our own case, having a position among the members is not an individualist one since we are a standardised organisation with different organs, councils and committees which have to meet before making any collective decision.”
Mr. Yaqub was responding to the accusation that labour had left it too late before reacting.
Outcome of negotiations
According to a party official, the motion in the Senate was the outcome of week-long negotiations between many interest groups which included PDP members, governors, and lawmakers - wherever they stand on the issue of power transfer to Mr. Jonathan.
“We asked for time believing the party can get everyone to act properly in the interest of the peace and the party,” the PDP official said.
The motion which is scripted in the manner in which the state governors have lobbied is expected to receive the vote of the majority of the Senators. The governors are expected to witness the voting process which they hope will validate their one week effort to find a political solution to the crisis.
Lawyers however fear that having Mr. Jonathan become acting president through such a process, may bring him and the decision under intense legal scrutiny. They point to the fact that such a motion by lawmakers is usually no more than a piece of advice and bears no compulsion of compliance.
“I think the resolution alone cannot do that,” said Bon Nwakama, a lawyer.
“The Senate did the right thing by asking for the letter. If the letter failed to come, they can move against the president as disobedience and can impeach him,”
Mr. Nwakama, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the decision “will be very debatable because it lacks the force of law.”
Senators do not, as a rule discuss these issues openly. In the last few days, the lawmakers have become more secretive and refuse to discuss the chamber’s possible approach to the matter especially as it concerns the extra-legal questions that may arise.
The Senators say they fear discussing the plans will “pre-empt” today’s attempt at arresting the constitutional drift that has gone on for almost three months now.
“Let’s all wait and see, there is nothing to talk about for now,” a senator believed to be in support of the decision to override Mr. Yar’adua, said in an interview yesterday.
